# Highlands vs Shades Mountain

The clearest difference is update cadence: Highlands at every 3 weeks against Shades Mountain's every 29 months. Highlands also leads on ratings volume (462 vs 2). Shades Mountain's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shades Mountain holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Highlands has 462 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Highlands ships an update every 3 weeks, Shades Mountain every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Highlands | Shades Mountain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (462 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlands/id467173106/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shades-mountain/id1583663973/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **462** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 85.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 88 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Church of the Highlands](https://appshunter.io/developer/467173109) | [Shades Mountain Baptist Church](https://appshunter.io/developer/1176681881) |

## What reviewers say

### Highlands

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlands/id467173106)

This app connects users with a church community, offering on-demand messages, live service streaming, and a Bible reading plan. Users can also find information on church events, locations, and more.

**Highlights:** On-demand messages, One Year Bible reading plan, Live service streaming, Church event information, Church location details

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to navigate and find content
- 📖 Excellent One Year Bible reading plan feature
- 🎬 Comprehensive sermon library with live streaming
- ✨ Improved graphics and modern design
- 🙏 Spiritual growth and connection to church

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app freezing and glitching
- 🐛 Audio playback issues and stuttering
- 📱 Poor landscape mode support on iPad
- 🔊 Bluetooth connectivity problems in vehicles
- ♿ Limited accessibility features for low vision users

**Reported bugs**

- Cafe order online shows church addresses instead of menu
- Cannot skip forward/backward in audio without freezing
- App freezes at half screen on iPad
- Sermon playback doesn't resume from saved position
- Screen locks cause audio to stop playing

**Requested features**

- Highlight and underline text in One Year Bible
- Calendar feature to track completed Bible readings
- Ability to save and access notes within app
- Blank note pages for services without outlines
- Copy and paste functionality for devotionals


### Shades Mountain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shades-mountain/id1583663973)

This app enhances your on-campus experience with tools for connection, giving, event discovery, and group management. It also facilitates children's check-ins and helps you engage with the church's mission.

**Highlights:** Online connection card, Giving capabilities, Event discovery, Group management, Children's check-in, Connect with church mission

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Highlands free?

Highlands is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shades Mountain free?

Shades Mountain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Highlands or Shades Mountain?

Shades Mountain is rated higher. Highlands averages 4.8 out of 5 from 462 ratings, while Shades Mountain averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Highlands or Shades Mountain have ads?

Neither Highlands nor Shades Mountain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Highlands or Shades Mountain?

Highlands ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shades Mountain every 29 months. Most recently, Highlands was updated on September 16, 2026 and Shades Mountain on September 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*